Garage door



' Fil'ed April 28, 1948 March 18, 1952 R HANRAHAN 2,589,938

GARAGE DOOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 4 i J E; A

16" I "7 \\\A ffl; Je? '2l J4! :inventor Gttomeg March 18, 1952 R. L. HANRAHAN GARAGE DOOR v2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 28. 1948 faymz-Ja/ Hmz-reiben :inventor attorney Patented Mar.l 18, 1952 y UNITED STATES PATENT 2,589,938 y l l GARAGE Doon v Raymond L. Hanrahan, Greenacies, Wash. Application April 2s, 194s, seriaiivo. 23,712

1 claim. '(01. isc-367) vMyy invention relates to improvements in a garage door.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a light weight door for garages of novel construction, eliminating the necessity for hinges.

It is,the further purpose of my invention to provide a garage door assembly in which the door proper comprises a single sheet of metal with horizontally running reinforcing members; the side edges of the door being provided with novel guide members, operable to move in channels that extend vertically at the door opening and horizontally above the door opening, so the metal sheet may be moved up and down with a minimum of effort.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its embodiment and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

F'ig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a garage door fra-me with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view with parts broken away illustrating the mounting of the door and guide means in the channel.

According to my invention, I propose to provide a garage door by utilizing a sheet of metal, preferably of aluminum, or similar light weight metal or metal alloy, with integral stiifeners and guides so placed that the door may be moved be- .tween a vertical position and a horizontal position. The metal of the door bends in going from the vertical position to the horizontal position, but owing to the nature of the construction employed I am able to accomplish this bending easily and without any permanent distortion of the sheet of metal.

As shown in Fig. 1, my improved door construction is applied to the door opening of a garage, identified by the frame 5. Two relatively narrow channel members 6 and 'I are secured to the frame and extend upwardly to the top of the door opening. This top of the door opening is at the lower edge of the member 8, which extends across the top of the frame 5. The channels are curved, as indicated at 9 and Il), to extend horizontally a short distance above the dooropen'- ing. Supporting frame members.v II and I2 `are provided', if necessary, to support the horizontally extending portions of the channels 6 and 1. The member 8 is secured at its top to a cross frame member I3, which rests on the upright portions of the frame 5.

My improved door comprises a metal sheet I4, whi-ch is provided at intervals with horizontally running reinforcing members I5. These members desirably are in the form of angles and made preferably of the same material as the sheet I4. The top edge and bottom edge of the sheet I4 have the angles I 5 applied thereto flush with the edge of the sheet, so as to protect the edges against damage. In order to guide the sheet I4 in the channels 6 and 1, I provide guide members I6 in alignment with each of the angles I5 at both side edges of the sheet I4. These guide members comprise blocks I6, preferably made of a light metal and slotted as indicated at I'I for reception of the edge of the sheet I4. Rivets I8 are used to secure the blocks on the sheet. As shown, the blocks have their opposite side surfaces rounded so as to present rounded surfaces to the side flanges of the channels 6. The blocks I6 are made slightly smaller transversely of the channels than the distance between the channel walls, so that the blocks can ride around the curved portion 9 and II) of the channels without binding. As shown, the blocks are oval in cross section, in order to provide quite a long supporting surface for the sheet I4 and thus lend stability to the sheet. The spacing between blocks is less than the length of the curved portions 9 and I so that there is always at least one block in the curved portion of each channel. The blocks keep the sheet I4 from riding on the channels as it bends around the curved portions 9 and I0.

The door may, of course, be provided with any suitable locking device. No looking device is shown in the drawings, since such a device would not form any part of the present invention.

In order to counter-balance the weight of the door and make it easier to lift, I may provide suitable springs I9 and 20, which are under tension, tending to lift the door. If itis desirable to seal the door opening more tightly, the channels 6 and 'I may carry a suitable Asponge rubber sealing pad 2l up to the beginning of the bends 9 and I0. Likewise, a similar sealing strip 22 may be provided back of the panel member 8, with provision in the strip to pass a handle 23, which is utilized for lifting the door.

The door lends itself to easy fabrication, since it is only necessary to form the channels 6 and 1 and cut the sheets I4 to the right dimensions. The angles I5 are easily applied by riveting them to the sheet. The blocks I6 preferably are extruded and sawed oi tothe right length and then the slot I1 is eut and a hole for the rivet I8 is f drilled in each block.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: A garage door construction comprising a pair of channel members having their open sides facing each other, said channel members each having a vertical portion the height of the door opening, a curved portion at the top of the vertical portion curving rearwardly and a straight portion extending rearwardly from the curved portion, a resilient metal sheet extending from channel member to channel member and at least as high as the vertical portions of the channels, said sheet 4 extending into both channels, rigid members extending across the sheet at vertically spaced intervals and terminating adjacent thel channel edges and guides on the sheet within the channels horizontally aligned with the rigid members.

RAYMOND L. HANRAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

